Benjamin s



(NvolModei'.)

" B. S. WHEELER.

GAMB.

No. 296,900. APatented Apr. l5, 1884.

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UNTTEEN STATES PATENT UEETCE.

BENJAMIN S. W'HEELER, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi' Letters PatentvNO. 296,900, dated Aprill5, 1884.

v Application filed July 27, 1883. (Noinodel.)

To LZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. WHEELER, of Orange, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements Relating to Games, of 'which the following is aspecification.

4The object of the invention is to produce a device which shall beattractive to persons of all ages, and afford a pleasurable exercise ofthe mental faculties, and shall also performa useful part,educationally, by familiarizing the operator with the differentcombinations of letters in producing words and short sentences.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ot'carrying out` the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specication.

Figure l is a face view. Fig. 2 is a section on the line r r, Fig. l.Fig. 3 is a section on the line s s, and Fig. 4 a section on the line tt. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the blocks detached. Y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figureswhere they occur.

I provide what I term a board, A, which may be a literal board oflumber; or it may be a corresponding piece of metal, papier-mache, orvarious other material. It is formed with a series of connectinggroovesof T-shaped cross-section. I will use the letter a to designate thewhole of these connected grooves, employing additional marks, as a' a,when necessaryto indicate special parts thereof. I provide also a longrecess, ai, having a crosssec tion corresponding to a portion of acircle, all as indicated in Fig. l.

I provide a series of movable blocks, B, of rectangular section, eachprovided with an enlargement, B. These blocks B B correspond with andare adapted to match in the grooves a, and are easily movablelongitudinallyin such grooves; but the engagement of the parts B of theseveral blocks B with the'wide portion of the groove renders itimpossible to remove any of the blocks entirely from the severalconnected grooves. They may all be shiftedabout in various positions inthe said system of grooves.

On theprojecting end or front face of each of the blocks B, I print,paint, or otherwise produce one of the letters of the alphabet. I havein my experiments employed plainlyprinted impressions from type withblack ink upon white paper, the pieces of paper containing the severalletters being cut out and attached upon the fronts of the several blocksby common paste.

C is a straight shaft, of stoutwire or other suitable material,extending alongthe axial line of the recess ai. The ends are engagedwith the board A.

D D, Src., are narrow wheels mounted on the shaft C, so that they arefree to be revolved independently. On the periphery of each wheel Iprint, paint, or otherwise produce one or more of the letters of thealphabet. I have in my experiments employed letters printed with typesin black ink upon white paper, properly cutting the paper and pasting itin the required positions upon the several wheels.

E E, Src., are washers, of metal or other suitable material, interposedbetween the several wheels D. The central one of the set of washers E isengaged firmly with the board A, and aids to support the shaft C trulyin position. The remainder of the washers E are loose. The severalwheels and washers are compressed to gether axially by a gentle spring,G, mounted at one end of the series and abutting against the end of therecess ft.

It will be observed that there are enough wheels D and washers E totightly fill the ref.

cess a* from one end to the other; but there should be only enough ofthe blocks B B to a little more than half fill the series of connectedgrooves a a.

I have in my experiments produced what I have termed the board A, withits T-sectioned grooves a of pine wood, in three layers. rlhe back layeris continuous. The mid layer is slotted, so to speak, or cutaway tocorrespond to the groove desired. The front layer is also slotted tocorrespond thereto, but with narrower slots. The width of the slots inthe front layer should be only alittle greater than the width of thebody B of the several blocks B B. i

In using the device to interest and instruct children the wheels D areturned and left in such position as presents the letters in the properorder to produce one or more words. If there is only a sufficient numberof blocks B B to have one block for each letter of the alphabet, careshould be taken to select Words and sentences which do not require anyletter to be repeated-as' Baltimore, Charleston,

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Newark, Paterson, Orange, bridge, north, south, east, West, up, down,city, country, rise, sink, come up, go in, stand, Walk, run. The playertakes the board, and nding the blocks B B variously confused, as theymay have been left after having completed a previous Word, slidesthe'several blocks about in the several grooves until the properarrangement of the blocks is effected in the straight upper horizontalgroove.

I attach importance to the fact that there is one horizontal groove inwhich the Words may be produced with a transverse groove at each endthereof. Also, that there is a groove connecting the transverse endgrooves, besides the main groove in which the Words are produced. Also,that there are several pocketgrooves which do not connect across, andare each adapted to hold only one or somelimited number ofthe blocks. Iwill designate the main longitudinal groove by a', the parallel groovea2, the respective transverse grooves at thev ends a, and the severalshort grooves or pockets at.

ln effecting the required changes of position the blocks may at thecommencement be moved freely through the longitudinal grooves from oneend to the other. So soon as the Word begins to be formed in the groovea, that groove is shut up and the transpositions of a block from one endgroove, a, to the opposite end groove correspondingly marked must beeffected through thegroo ve a2. When, as will usually be the case, thereare many letters in the way which are not Wanted, the ends of the trans-Y verse grooves Va3 and the pocket-grooves at must be liberally andskillfully used-in some cases many times-to shift the letters about andinduce the final required positions.

The game not only familiarizes the player With the letters, and withtheir arrangement in spelling words, but With very immature playersperforms a useful function in inducing sharp attention to forms and tothe prompt recognition of slight differences. It also cultivates inplayers of all degrees of development patience and skill in theattainment of desired ends. 5

Modications may be made in many of the details. -WhatIhave termed aboard may be produced by molding or other ordinary or suitable meansfrom a great variety of materials. There the expense will be Warranted,the edges of the grooves may he faced with brass, German silver, orother suitable material harder and better able to withstand Wear thanthe main body. TheA device may be made of various sizes. I propose insome cases to make the board of hard rubber and the blocks of ivory orother analogous White material with the letters in black, or,preferably, a deep color. I can omit the engagement of the centralWasher, E, with the board, and leave all the washers loosely strung onthe shaft C; or I can engage a greater number of the Washers E with theboard. I can make the entire series of washers each tion shown.

with a strong spur reaching into and engaging firmly With the board A.Instead of making the grooves ft of T-shaped section, they may be simplydovetailed, and the invention may be used with some success; but I muchprefer the T-shaped section, as it allows a large amount of loosenessWithout danger of the blocks becoming displaced. Parts ofthe inventionmay be used Without the Whole. I can employ a section of slate or otherconvenient marking-surface, on which theteacher ormore advanced playermay Write or produce any proper letters of the printing form to presentthe word or Words to be imitated by the player. I prefer the exactconstruc- I propose to make larger and more expensive forms, in whichthere shall be a greater number of the blocks B B, in which case I cansimply duplicate or triplicate the alphabet; but, preferably, I willprovide in such cases only one each of the rarer letters-as IQ, X Z-andprovide agreater number of those letters-as E and A-which are veryfrequently required. I can produce the Arabic numerals or other deviceson the faces of some of thel blocks, if desired. I can make variousattachments. I propose in some instances to employ a movable ribbon ofpaper or other material. carrying pictures into and out of view; but Ideem it important in such case to also plainly print the name inconnection With each object. The mind of the player will be sufficientlytaxed in finding the blocks and moving them to their correct pcsitionswith the properly-spelled Word plainly before him.

The game may aid in instructing in foreign languages.

I claim as my invention- 1. The board A, having the connected grooves aand the recess at, in combination with the blocks B B', sliding in thegrooves a, and the wheels D, capable ofbeing turned in the recess (rif,and adapted for joint operation ,substantially as herein specified.

2. 'Ihe series of blocks B B', each carrying a letter on its face, incombination With each other and with the series of Wheels D,separating-washers E, and shaft or axle-wire C, and with a board havingasystem of connected grooves, a, and a recess, ait, all arranged for`joint operation, as herein specified.

3. A toy or game apparatus ada-pted for educational purposes, having aseries of grooves and letter or figure bearing blocks movable thereinWhile not entirely separable therefrom, in combination with each other,and with convenient means for holding and eX- hibiting changeable copiesin proximity thereto, substantially as and for the purposes hereinspecitied."

In testimony .whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

CHARLns R. SEARLE, WM. C. DRY.

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